Blogs
The Healing Benefits of Mushrooms
Chaga-(Inonutus obliquus)
grows on white birch trees, that burnt black looking areas we have all saw once or twice.
medicinal uses for many things in folk medicines an currently.
uses in folklore: liver health an cancers, heart aliments, stomach diseases, intestinal worms,
current uses: antibacterial property's, anti inflammatory,anti tumor, antioxidant,
in Russia used in teas for hundreds of years as a method to treat cancers.
Cordyceps-(C.sinensis)
used in Chinese medicines a tonic used broadly. in China is considered precious for healing.
immune boosting properties,anti tumor, anti inflammatory, anti cancer, anti aging effects.
Maitake-(grifola frondosa)
also called the hen of the woods.
considered a highly medicinal mushroom an can grow to be very large as heavy as 15 pounds. many promising studies been conducted in use of this mushroom.
uses include: infection fighting properties, long term immunity strength, extracts been used i cancer treatments, compound present in this mushroom called D fraction; shows anti tumor and breast cancer cell reduction, used in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, reduced cholesterol levels, significant body weight.
Reishi-(granoderma tsugae)
this pic variety is Red Reishi
this pic is a common look of Reishi also
Used as an amazing immunity enhancer, this mushroom is a historical and ancient part of Chinese medicine. containing many vitamins not limited to these: zinc, copper, selenium, iron, amino acids and polysaccharides, peptides, proteins an minerals.
recent scientific studies show; useful for certain caners including aggressive types of breast cancers. uses include: treating hypertension, arthritis, insomnia, bronchitis, chronic hepatitis, asthma, diabetes, treating anorexia.
next info on these mushrooms....
Shiitake-(lentinula edodes)
Turkey tail-( Trametes versicolor)
work in progress check back for more info 
Throughout the years I have pondered reality. Abused my body and soul,but now... Now I know my path is to be pure. Clarification of mind. I meditate seeking enlightenment and my efforts have been rewarded. I have seen the eye of God. The energy of the universe lay within us all. Now I must go deeper Searching my own mind. The things I see are truly amazing. Spheres of light fly across the sky. Energy pulsing along the beat of my heart in the form of lightning. The blue light overwhelms the senses. Engulfing the body until the aura shines. A white light became my world, then morphing into an eternal tunnel. I begin to fly. Deeper I go into the wormhole of rainbow light. Alas the blue star. I have arrived. Then I see a pyramid. Purple it glowed as energy pulsed from its core. Rays of light shine from its magnetic force. Encoded with knowledge I must unravel. Back to the blue light which helps me travel. I return to this realm with peace of mind. For I know what I saw was truly divine!
~Vates~
Hello Otherbeasties! I know many of you have been waiting for this update to arrive and so here it is... time to talk about my dreadlocks being a year old! Back in June/July they celebrated their first birthday, so now officially in August I can post about it, no more waiting! So without further ado:
My Dreading Journey: One Year of Dreadlocks
Left: Just showcasing a quick tied back style for when I start doing yardwork or it's hot outside.
Right: Loose and in the sunlight.
Time really flew for me, if you'll remember my reason for dreading my hair was a commitment to becoming healthier, growing spiritually, and being a happier person. The journey is far from over... but the amount of personal growth in the last year was astonishing. I fully believe dreads really do something magical to people.
They still like to do some crazy stuff, but mainly they're pretty well behaved for only one year old.
So, since putting my dreads in over a a year ago I've started eating clean - no processed anything - and started doing yoga or walking everyday, and because of those things I have lost a total of 60 pounds. Yeah. Don't believe me? Go back and look at the very first blog entry about my dreads: My Dreading Journey Part 1.
From the front and from the back.
Anyway! Thought I'd give you all an update with pictures! Ready? Okay. Well for starters they had shortened up quite a bit in between 6 months and now, but in the last couple months I've seen some length coming back. In fact my dreads now reach the bottoms of my shoulder blades.
Just a little lefty and righty shot of the two different sides.
They've gotten wilder, crazier, loopier, nuttier, and more a part of who I really am. Anecdotal: I was just up in Austin visiting my family and friends when I decided to pop in on one of my best friends whom I've known since high school. When she saw me her face lit up and she said, "You found your hair!" That right there has been one of the coolest things ever said to me. I love her. <3
In the shade versus in sunlight, as you can see my dreads are happy, healthy, clean, and shiny.
P.S. The reason they're two-toned is because I used to dye my hair and now it's growing out... so, it may look weird but I still love it.
Almost everywhere I go, I have at least one person complimenting me on them, asking me how I did it, as well as asking me if they're real. It's quite funny and I don't mind it in the least. I've become a happier person, a healthier person, and I love my dreads. Sure I miss being able to comb my hair and sometimes I glance longingly at women that walk by with silky smooth tresses, but right now this is me. Maybe I'll have my original silky straight hair back eventually - but right now, this very moment - this is me. And I'm happy.
Right: Just an up-close of several dreads.
Left: Two that I "love-hate" right now. Damn bumps.
The real part? Well, I must separate my dreads during every shower because they like to stick together and start forming a monster dreadlock, but that's a sign of healthy dreadlocks. I also only use natural soaps on my dreads, meaning the good stuff made with lye and plant tallow, essential oils, and not much else. I really recommend Zum Bar Soaps from www.indigowild.com . They're fantastic and come in great scents like Lavender-Mint, Cedar, and Citus-Sandalwood.
Right now this is one of my favorite dreadlocks because it started out as a braid and has developed a sort of herringbone-like look to it, so I call it my Red Herring.
I also have this annoying genetically-inherited part in my hair at the back of my head that screams, "Look at me. Look. At. Me... LOOK AT ME!" So, I'm debating on how to disguise it... maybe by merging two dreads together.
See it? I know you see it. Right there. It's shouting at you to stare at it, isn't it?
This guy is absurd. It's literally a bubble of hair on the side of my dread... like a growth.
"It's not a tumor."
Here's my Big Fatty. He hasn't changed much, other than entering his teen years and starting to lump and bump here and there. Whippersnapper.
Anyway, I'm not sure what kind of pictures you guys would like to see, or what angles, but feel free to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer questions or snap photos that showcase certain features of my dreads.
So, there you have it. Dreadlocks at one year old! Thanks for reading Otherbeasties!
Until Next Time,
<3 Shade
Other Blog Postings About My Personal Dreadlock Journey:
- My Dreading Journey: One Year of Dreadlocks
Has anyone been verbally attacked due to their locks? A couple weeks ago I had an older man start screaming at me telling me that I was trying to steal rasta culture. I found his ignorance to be rather sad.I asked him if he ever heard of the druids? He replied no but it is my understanding many celtic cultures had dreadlocks. Therefore it is as much my culture as any rasta. He went on to say that is all the white man does. Steal others cultures. Then started on a rant about native americans. I told him my wife is inuit and smiled and laughed and walked away. I'm just wondering if anyone eles has had such things happen to them?
I'm so happy to finally find a community of people who have made my third attempt a positive one, going from "you must put half a kilo of beeswax on your dreads to lock them" and "you cant wash your hair while your dreads are forming" to you can keep your hair clean, soft and happy at the same time as allowing dreadlocks to form is definitely relieving to say the least, thank you to all the beautiful positive people I've read blogs from and thank you Soaring Eagle for this page, Knowledge is Power thank you for sharing yours. Happy Days & Safe Travels
My husband said my hair was very messy today, after I had washed it and towel dried it. He actually asked if there was something I was supposed to do to it. I told him that it was just doing what it was supposed to. Then I asked if he liked it and he was honest, and said he did not like it and reminded me that he had been against this from the beginning. I told him that I liked it and he said that was all that matters. I wish he did like it, but there is nothing I can do about it. I'm just grateful that he loves me and is accepting of my choices.
I'm two and a half months in to natural/neglect and my hair is so crazy poofy, super frizzy sections in the front that are still long and short hair that is already dreaded and shrunk to 1/3 (some of it even more) in the back and I <3 <3 <3 it! yeah think I look crazy and weird but it's fun! I hated my first set in square sections with rubberbands constantly retwisting them. I hated how they looked this time I'm at this crazy ass stage and still love myhair more than ever. The whole taking care of my hair routine feels more right then even even with having to separate 2 times a day.
I wish my hair didn't blunt itself and I have some that have those medaillon things (like bigger ends) but it'll be okay. I hope they will go away with time but if not I can cut ends off because I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna let my natural haircolor come back even though I have a good bit of gray. I my natural color will good in dreads and since the sun turns it lighter maybe some dreads will be different shades then others.
Since I've been dreading so so much in my life has changed I started exercising and I'm having so much and I've built up so much stamina then I had. I telll you Billy Blanks about killed me at first but now I can finish the whole tae bo basic workout and still keep exercising. I've done alittle yoga and dediced I want to learn to belly dance 
(if you knew how clumsy and ungraceful I am you'd think it's funny too) It'll be fun and good exercise. I've been find all kinds of great excerise videos on youtube. I've just been living my life how I wanted to. Not planned along with the dreading but my husband I got rid of so many bad people out our lives we didn't know how bad theywere until too late but anyways that it is hard and depressing story to tell about getting robbed, screwed over, etcby family and close friends so I'll just leave it at that. But it's like they were negative energy this whole time things are just looking up more then ever.
Wow, the time really flew by... I can't believe its already been a full year that I've been dreading.
I'm constantly getting compliments on my hair, and people asking if they can feel it. I really dislike the stereotypes associated with dreads, but people will think what they want I guess.
Before dreads people thought of me as a "valley girl" I always wear makeup, and I used to spend hours doing my hair... So I get where the misconception may come from.. but now that I have dreads, it seems like people see me as more down to earth and laid back.
I love that I spend virtually no time styling my hair, but as of the last month I've been itching to change my hair somehow.. I ended up dying it a few times, and now I'm wishing I would have just left it alone, I really liked the color it was before.. and now I have to worry about upkeep 
Overall its been an amazing year and some really great things have come my way thanks to my dreads.